Vanderbilt dismisses four football players amid sex crimes probe

Vanderbilt and coach James Franklin did not wait long to dismiss four unnamed players. (USATSI)

UPDATE:

Four Commodores players suspended on Friday have been dismissed by Vanderbilt and removed from campus, the university announced in a statement released Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

University officials said the athletes would not be allowed to return to campus unless given "explicit permission" from Vanderbilt's office of student conduct and academic integrity.

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Four unnamed Vanderbilt football players have been suspended pending an investigation into what the school called a violation of team rules in a statement it released on Friday.

From Vandy:

Vanderbilt University today announced that four members of its football team were suspended earlier this week for violation of team rules. As additional facts become known, Vanderbilt will take further action, if and as warranted.

Because of Vanderbilt's ongoing investigation, the university will offer further comment when appropriate.

"I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Department's Sex Crimes Unit began an investigation on Wednesday in regard to a matter that was alleged to have occurred at a Vanderbilt University dormitory," said Don Aaron, spokesman for Metro police. "Our sex crimes detectives became involved as the result of a notification to us on Wednesday from Vanderbilt University police. The investigation remains very much in progress."